Documents Sep 26, 2018

Minutes

Ebensburg Borough Council Meeting Minutes

Date: September 24, 2018 Time: 6:30 PM – 7:36 PM Location: Ebensburg Municipal Building, 300 W. High Street

Present: Council President Doug Tusing, Vice President Susan Barber, and councilors Theresa Jacoby, Scot May, Dave Kuhar, Cecilia Houser, and John Cobaugh.
Absent: Mayor Randy Datsko and Public Works Director Jeff Evans.
Others Present: Borough Manager Daniel Penatzer, Solicitor Blair Pawlowski, Police Chief Terry Wyland, Public Works Director Jeff Evans (listed as absent but present in "Others"), Plant Supervisor Mark Wirfel, Community Development Director Danea Koss, Recreation Director Dirk Johnson, and local press.

Consent Agenda The council unanimously approved the consent agenda, which included:

Public Comments & Rezoning

Rezoning Request: Mr. Joe Sinclair requested to rezone the former middle school football field from Single-Household Residential to Mixed Use-Village Commercial. He also requested access to Fairview Street for stormwater management.
Decision: After concerns were raised by Councilor Kuhar, a motion was made to refer the issue to the Planning Commission for review. The motion passed unanimously.
Sidewalk Opposition: Residents from East Sample Street (Pat Kelly, Randall Passanita, Laverne Ott) voiced strong opposition to planned sidewalks, citing lack of resident support and maintenance concerns.
Chris Street: Mr. Ron Bowman asked the council to reconsider snow plowing on Chris Street, citing a 1999 agreement among landowners to close the street.

Financial Matters

YPCC Leases: Two leases for YPCC basement office space were approved:
- An amended lease with Child Development Corporation at $9. 08/sq. ft.
- A new lease with Goodwill (PA CareerLink) at $10. 50/sq. ft.
- Both are 3-year leases expiring in August and September 2021.
Swimming Pool Loan: The council approved an early payoff of the swimming pool renovation loan.
- Current Balance: ~$155,000.
- Reasoning: The borough has been paying $96,000 annually (vs. the required $84,000) to retire the debt early.
Pension Plans: The council adopted resolutions for the 2019 fiscal year:
- Non-Uniformed Plan: Minimum Municipal Obligation (MMO) set at $130,508. Employee contribution rate remains 3%.
- Uniformed Plan: MMO set at $42,356. Employee contribution rate remains 3%.
- State Aid: Authorization was given to distribute the State aid check to the respective pension plans.
2019 Budget: Preliminary budget numbers are being prepared by the Manager. The administrative committee will meet on October 8th to compile a tentative budget for council review in October, with final adoption expected in November.
2018 Audit: Wessel & Company was appointed as the auditor for 2018.

Contracts & Appointments

Energy Contract: A four-year contract was awarded to WGL Energy through the APPI joint municipal purchasing program.
- Rate: 5. 657¢/kWh.
- Expiration: December 2022.
- Savings: Expected to save approximately $15,000 annually (a 14% decrease).
Municipal Authority: A replacement is being sought for Ms. Kristina Strosnider, who resigned from the Ebensburg Municipal Authority. The new appointee will serve the remainder of a 5-year term ending December 31, 2018.

Department Reports

Police: Chief Wyland reported on two Drug Take Back days that collected 197 lbs of unused medications. He also gave talks on scams and bike safety.
Community Development: Ms. Koss reported on Volunteer Appreciation Night, the upcoming PotatoFest and Fall Foliage Ride, and a feature on Ebensburg in Municipal Reporter magazine. A resolution was submitted to apply for façade restoration funding from DCED.
Recreation: Mr. Johnson reported on updates to the Tennis Center and a successful "Pooch Party" at the pool that drew over 50 dogs.